Flue-cleaner



(No Model.)

L. I. SEYMOUR.

FLUE CLEANER.

No. 433,100. Patented July 29, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS I. SEYMOUR, OF PLYMOUTH, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDER'A. SANBORN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLU E-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,100, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed December 4,1889. Serial No. 332,537. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS I. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefullmprovements in Flue-Cleaners, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in [O flue-cleaners for boilers, such as the ordinary steam-flue boiler for generating steam; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide the mechanism that will produce a strong blast that maybe sent through the fines with suflicient force to clean them, and that shall also be perfectly dry and of the same high temperature as that of the air and gases at the time passing through the fines, and, second, to avoid cooling the fines or destroying or straining them by contraction and rust produced by the ordinary steam and air blast.

Heretofore such fines have been cleaned by passing through them a blast produced by a steam-jet and atmospheric air, in which the 2 5 air condenses a portion of the steam and leaves a coating of rusty scales on the inner surface of the fines, which soon destroys them, while the cooling of the fines by such a blast contracts and strains them and soon wears o them out. To avoid these bad results, I form the blast from the air and gasesin the heated fines at the time and at the rear end of the boiler and in the fire-box.

I attain the objects of my improvement by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the same; Fig. 3, a detailed view of the apparatus in 40 perspective.

Similarletters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

My invention consists of a hollow returnbend or V-shaped tube A B, of cast-iron or 5 other material, whoseinside diameter is about the same as that of the fine to be cleaned, or a little smaller. To the outer curve of this return-bend is attached. a socket C for receiving a wooden handle I), through which is passed a small steam-pipe E, one end of which is connected at F with a hose, which supplies steam from the boiler, and the other end terminates in the aperture of one leg of the return-bend and is drawn down to a small nozzle, through which the steam issues to create the blast. This end A of the return-bend may be enlarged, as shown, to a conical shape, so that it shall not enter the flue, but shall completely close its orifice, or maybe of other convenient shape. The other leg B may be left as shown, so as to slip into an adjacent boiler-flue,or it also maybe enlarged like the leg A, or it may be of any other convenient shape.

A stop-cock may be placed in the steampipe E, though I have not shown it in the drawings.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: Steam being turned on through the small pipe E, the apparatus is placed against the boiler end, so that the leg A of the blower projects'into or covers and closes the open end of the fine to be cleaned and the other leg 13 projects into or covers and closes the open end of an adjacent fine. The stean1-jet 7 5 from the nozzle at A creates a strong draft through one fine into the blower and a strong blast from the blower through the other flue, with the incidental advantage of cleaning two fines at once; but the more important value of my invention lies in this, that both the draft and the blast are dry and hot throughout. The hot gases are drawn through the one flue, are precisely the same to which the flues are subjected at the time, and on coming in contact with the steam-jet the steam is superheated and thoroughly dried, so that the blast will not cool, contract, or strain the fine, or leave within it a coating of rusty scales, as do all other forms of blowers 10 pipe Within it, so as to produce a hot and dry blast for the purposes stated, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 30th day I 5 of November, A. D. 1889.

LOUIS I. SEYMOUR. WVitnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, MARTHA J. J AOKSON. 

